Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 564

Chapter 562, Alfonzo’s Ark Fleet

“Paulitus is a capable man,” Gu Hang said with emotion.

At this moment, he was chatting with his wife Ye Lixia.

Their relationship was naturally very different from that of ordinary people.

The two of them were rarely together and had very little time to spend together throughout the year.

Gu Hang was very busy, and Ye Lixia was also very busy.

But despite this, their relationship was not affected.

Their union was not dominated by emotions, but an inseparable combination of interests.

At most, the two of them had some admiration for each other and did not resist being together.

But feelings can be cultivated. Especially when goals and ambitions are aligned, and many aspects are strongly bound together, the relationship becomes more stable.

Especially after the alliance that Gu Hang completely controlled became stronger and stronger, and he actually became the most powerful figure in the entire Eastern Universe, Ye Lixia could not leave Gu Hang.

Meanwhile, as an admiral, Ye Lixia helped Gu Hang better control the naval forces, crucial to a space power, and Gu Hang couldn’t really leave her.

So their relationship couldn’t possibly be bad.

Political interests led to a stable relationship; conversely, the same is true: a stable relationship led to stable interests.

The two may have been separate at first, but now they’ve become increasingly intertwined.

Or, to put it another way, if their relationship wasn’t good, Gu Hang would never have handed over the crucial navy to Ye Lixia.

As high-ranking figures in the Human Empire, they had previously considered creating a human together, establishing a bloodline.

It was simply because they were busy, and because they had time.

Although, they were both nearly fifty years old, thanks to advanced human technology, Ye Lixia, having undergone long-term life-extending surgery, had at least several hundred years of life left, maintaining eternal youth. Gu Hang, on the other hand, hadn’t undergone surgery. However, since becoming Governor of Angry Owl Star, his appearance has remained virtually unchanged for nearly thirty years. He

was fifty years old, yet he still looked young and strong.

The power of psychic energy played a significant role in this. High-level psychics don’t actually prolong their lives; rather, their lives are shortened due to the erosion of their bodies by this supernatural power.

But Gu Hang, with the help of the system, can fully master his psychic energy.

That’s a completely different concept.

His current life form is still mortal, but how much similarity his ‘life essence’ still has to that of a normal person is hard to say.

Both of them can be considered immortals. Fifty or sixty years of life would be the end of life for ordinary people, but for them, it’s just a few steps forward in their long lives. Their

concepts of life differ greatly, and so will their future generations.

Right now, it’s a lull in the war. It’s during this time that they have the time to gather and communicate.

The subject of their exchange isn’t important; the main thing is the communication itself.

The main force of the Alliance Fleet, having concluded the Battle of Heyang, silently and at a moderate speed, arrived at Bowang Star.

The planet itself wasn’t much to describe—a typical Level 1 development world with a population of five or six billion and a technological level still in the electrical age. It lacked any special resources, wasn’t located on any major transportation routes, and its orbital defenses were mediocre.

They even lacked the means to observe deep space.

The main force of the Alliance had a single reason for arriving here: according to reports from the front, the Fury Fleet was en route to Wuqi Star, passing through Bowang.

It should be noted that Bowang Star was by no means the only route to Wuqi Star; it was at most an option, and a significant detour. The Fury Fleet’s choice of this route was certainly not of their own accord. They were eager to reach Wuqi Star as quickly as possible, leveraging its comprehensive defenses as a vital link between the two star regions, to hold out until Alfonzo’s fleet arrived. This would provide them with far greater security. They

were forced to do so by the Blood Sharks.

The Bowang Star System was the slaughterhouse Gu Hang had prepared for them.

While waiting for the sheep to arrive, Gu Hang had some free time, which gave him the rare opportunity to have a conversation with his wife.

It was inevitable that they would talk about the next target to be slaughtered, and about Paulitus, the new leader of the Fury.

Gu Hang once again repeated his evaluation of Paulitus: “Paulitus is a capable man.”

“He is capable? He is capable of being tormented by you like this? You don’t seem to take him seriously at all. Even if the war is destined to happen here on Bowang Star, you don’t care. It’s not critical at all. It’s just part of your plan… You don’t take him seriously, and you don’t even regard him as an opponent, but you say he is very capable?”

“There is no conflict.” Gu Hang waved his hand and said with a smile, “He did everything and every choice right, so of course he should be praised.”

“He did everything right, but ended up in the current situation?”

“Yes.” Gu Hang sighed, “This is the difference in strength between the two sides. He could not compete with us in any previous battlefield. Defending Shangdong and Guangfeng? Sticking to Mentus II, Aoya Star, and Heyang VIII? His winning rate will not exceed 30%, and that’s without counting me.”

“As long as he loses, he will lose everything.”

“And he made the right choices every time. Objectively speaking, as the weaker party, his strategic approach of ‘keeping the fleet alive’ was correct. As long as his fleet existed, we had to find a way to deploy military forces to counter it, thereby weakening our control over the entire Proud Claw Segmentum and weakening our offensive speed. He achieved this, and the trouble it caused us was far greater than if he had fought and lost a decisive battle.”

“He also successfully split our fleet, forcing us to deploy three battlecruisers in the rear to guard against them. And then, he targeted the Wing, the Furious Owl, and the Koroja, which was also a wise choice. Tactically, he did successfully execute the ambush, and nearly defeated our precious battlecruisers.”

“The fact that he’s achieved this is enough to make me admire him. He lost because of the information gap. The Blood Sharks are… very special. Even I was a little surprised by their elusive ability. Without the advance intelligence on the Blood Sharks, he certainly couldn’t make the right decision.”

Having said that, Gu Hang added, “I think he’s a bit more powerful and more difficult to deal with than his predecessor, the former leader of the Fury named Erso.”

Ye Lisia smiled and said, “But he still lost. Are you praising your opponent to show that you’re more powerful?”

“That’s not the case. I’m just giving an objective evaluation.” Gu Hang said, “Of course, he can do better.”

“For example? If you were in his place, what would you do?” Ye Lisia asked curiously.

“If possible, I will continue to implement the retreat strategy, not only giving up Proud Claw, but also the Jingjie Star Region. The Alliance’s power is already limited by rapidly expanding and controlling a star region. If they dare to pursue into the Jingjie Star Region, the chances of tearing the Alliance apart later will be even greater.”

“But there may be political factors involved. Why can’t he do that?” Ye Lixia pointed out this point. “The military can never be independent of politics. Just like us, launching an offensive at this time is not necessarily a good choice.”

“Yes, every commander wants to simply consider how to defeat the enemy, but that is often unrealistic.”

“What if you can’t retreat? What will you do?”

“Decisive battle,” Gu Hang said.

Ye Lixia said in surprise, “Don’t you think that a strict retreat is the best option? The chances of winning a decisive battle are no more than 30%.”

Gu Hang thought for a moment and said, “As the weaker party, if you want to reverse the disadvantage and create a miracle, you have to take a difficult path, and then find and achieve something in the difficulty to turn the impossible into possible.”

Ye Lixia stared at Gu Hang’s face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing, I just feel… that others might be boasting, but you say it, it actually makes sense.”

“Haha!”

…

A Terran standard month passed quickly.

The Alfonzo Ark Fleet arrived in the Proud Claw Sector.

This was news that shook the world.

Unrest gripped the entire Proud Claw Sector.

Worlds that had already sided with the Alliance feared a reckoning with the arrival of the Alfonzo Ark Fleet; those that hadn’t yet sided were jubilant.

This news, marking the official entry of the Alfonzo Cult into the war, spread even quickly to Holy Terra.

The intense focus on this massive civil war across the Imperium’s eastern border, involving several cosmic realms and over twenty thousand Space Marines, deeply resonated with the elders of Holy Terra.

Although most recognized that the Alfonzo Cult was undoubtedly an enemy and should not harbor any illusions about them,

the fact that they had never officially joined the war made everyone seem content to bury their heads in the dust.

Now, that illusion had been completely shattered, and the unwarranted panic was spreading. This

was especially true after further intelligence arrived, revealing the true strength of Alfonzo’s Ark Fleet, leaving them stunned.

Two Retribution-class battleships, one Zhuge-class aircraft carrier, and nine Serpent-class battlecruisers… this was already a formidable force, surpassing the combined naval power of a single conventional Imperial space domain.

And these were merely conventional vessels.

Within this Ark Fleet, there were two warships so powerful that the mere mention of them was enough to make one shudder.

The first was the Mechanicus Ark itself. According to intelligence from the front lines, it was no ordinary Mechanicus Ark. After all, while the Mechanicus Ark possessed formidable combat capabilities, it primarily served as a base for the Mechanicus’ space travels, integrating a vast array of production, industrial, and scientific research functions, effectively creating a Mechanicus forge world capable of free movement in space.

However, this Ark could be called a ‘War Ark,’ a vessel specifically designed for warfare. Its combat effectiveness must surpass that of a normal battleship.

The Alfonzo Cult is quite wealthy, and the configuration of this war ark they built would be terrifyingly high.

And the other warship is also a battleship.

The Emperor-class battleship.

This is the most powerful battleship model in the human empire.

If the Retribution-class is the mass-produced, standard-issue battleship, then the Emperor-class is the luxury, flagship model.

Its cost is over three times that of the Retribution-class.

Cost and construction time are only one factor; the rare and difficult technology is the more important factor for its rarity.

And its combat effectiveness is justified by its price and rarity.

Such a fleet, both in terms of scale and the strength of its top-tier ships, would be a powerful force that could change the situation on either the northern or western fronts.

Moreover, the power wielded by the Alliance on the southern front is actually weaker than that of the northern and western fronts.

And now public opinion has suddenly shifted.

Before, there were many voices in Holy Terra, asking why the Alliance didn’t speed up its actions, why didn’t they quickly destroy the Fury Fleet, why didn’t they push the front line to the more hinterland areas of the Ironclad Legion sooner, posing a greater threat to them.

Now, some voices began to emerge, saying why the Alliance was so reckless, why did they want to provoke the Alfonzo Cult, why didn’t they just hold on properly, and just ensure that the south didn’t collapse.

Now they are fighting recklessly and provoking Alfonzo… Now, if the main force of the Alliance is lost, not to mention that the Proud Claw Star Domain they have swallowed will have to be sent back, I’m afraid that the Alfonzo Ark Fleet will take this force all the way south and pierce through the Eastern Space Domain.

Even the most optimistic people don’t think that the Alliance is a match for such a fleet.

The Alliance hasn’t even destroyed the Fury Fleet yet!

This news is terrible.

(End of this chapter)